1. Read it again. It doesn't say that. It says the tax credit is based on what YOU pay for the window. Not what the contractor pays.

2. Wrong. read it gain.

3. $800 is not unreasonable for the Okna 800. The cost to the contractor is quite high compared to other windows. Why is it you think you have a right to know what a contractor pays for his products? Do you walk into appliance,furniture, or grocery stores and start demanding to know what they pay for their products?

Good luck in finding a contractor who will work with you. I would start by visiting several manufacturers websites andusing their dealer locators or simply calling them and asking for a referral.

You are correct skydawggy. I read it too quickly and too late at night.

The sales person speaking with me said 30% of the total price. I'm certain of that because I have the figures. That sounded really good, because if I bought $3000 of installed windows I would only pay $2000 since the tax credit is the same as actual in-your-pocket money, not a deduction.

I actually would prefer not to know the cost to the contractor. I know there is variation in what the charge to them is and their markups, too. It would be too disturbing to have to start worrying about comparing those costs along with installation costs. And, yes, I do think I should be able to do shopping with cost comparison. If I'm given prices by three people with decent reps and experience and the windows are not identical, I'm going to be looking into the window quality and pricing to see the differences and whether I feel the quality and pricing differences have enough "value" to me to chose the more expensive over less expensive product.

And I would have been extremely disturbed to have a tax audit find I had the wrong deduction. Or that good old CYA "ask your tax adviser" because that would have been tax time, after installation and payment. Although I read it incorrectly, and I'm glad you pointed that out, since everyone selling these energy credit upgraded products knows the 30% is just on cost, why not come right out and say it? "This is how much the product is; this is how much other costs are and the total price will be $XX?

Everywhere it says good installation is crucial. That makes sense. Two installers/home renovators, licensed and all that, have wanted to use crummy windows. (I read extensively, which is how I came upon Okna). The franchisee would probably do a good install, it seems like a good window, but do I want to pay $500 for a good window, or do I want to pay $375 for a good window - which may even be the same window? That's where knowing the cost of the window comes in. I agree I read the website incorrectly, and I'm glad I do not need the invoice price. The contractor/installer should be able to set its price at whatever is satisfactory for their business. However, I may decide that a window that costs $125 less has everything I need. (I have found that screens, dividers, locks, etc can be from $10-30 difference per item on different windows. There can be different prices on upgrades to energy efficiency. Maybe I want the basics, or maybe I want that little bit more.)